1027: Jonna Mendez | A Woman’s Life in the CIA

The Jordan Harbinger Show

Jordan Harbinger

Social Sciences, Self-improvement, Entrepreneurship, Talk Radio, Business, Science, Education

4.8 • 12.1K Ratings

🗓️ 5 August 2024

⏱️ 85 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Veteran CIA operative and disguise specialist Jonna Mendez joins us to discuss how Cold War espionage shaped modern intelligence gathering!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1027

What We Discuss with Jonna Mendez:

Jonna Mendez broke barriers as a woman in the CIA during a time when women were often limited to secretarial roles. She had to persistently push for opportunities to do field work and technical operations.
The CIA’s Office of Technical Services (OTS) developed sophisticated disguise and surveillance techniques, including creating masks, altering appearances, and devising ways to evade detection in hostile environments.
Cold War espionage, especially in places like Berlin, involved complex operations, surveillance, and counter-surveillance techniques. The Berlin Wall era presented unique challenges and opportunities for intelligence gathering.
Transitioning out of CIA work can be challenging due to the secretive nature of the job, with many agents struggling to adjust to civilian life and maintain relationships outside the agency.
Developing strong interpersonal skills, adaptability, and a curious mindset are valuable traits for success in intelligence work and many other fields. These skills can be cultivated through practice, diverse experiences, and continuous learning, making them applicable to various career paths and personal growth opportunities.
And much more…

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Coming up next on the Jordan Harbinger Show.
0:02.6	I was walking down the street, and I'm a woman who doesn't belong in that city and
0:07.2	doesn't, certainly doesn't belong in that street.
0:09.2	I was walking down, and I bump into this group of guys, and you can see the guns.
0:13.8	They all had guns.
0:15.2	And I figured, you know, this is the cartel.
0:17.7	So they all turned and looked at me.
0:19.4	You could almost hear their brains going like, oh, DEA sending women now.
0:24.3	And I thought, you know what?
0:25.8	They just might just shoot me.
0:27.8	If they've had enough beer and if they're worried enough about who I am and why in the world
0:32.4	am I walking down this street.
0:38.8	Welcome to the show. I'm Jordan Harbinger. On the Jordan Harbinger show, we decode the stories,
0:43.4	secrets, and skills of the world's most fascinating people and turn their wisdom into
0:47.1	practical advice that you can use to impact your own life and those around you. Our mission
0:51.2	is to help you become a better informed, more critical thinker through long-form conversations with the variety of amazing folks, from spies to CEOs,
0:58.7	athletes, authors, thinkers, performers, even the occasional rocket scientist, Russian chess,
1:03.2	grandmaster, Hollywood filmmaker, or real-life pirate. And if you're new to the show or
1:07.2	you want to tell your friends about the show, I suggest our episode starter packs as a place
1:10.8	to begin. These are collections of our favorite episodes on persuasion, negotiation,
1:15.4	psychology, and geopolitics, disinformation in cyber warfare, crime and cults, and more. That'll help new
1:20.7	listeners get a taste of everything we do here on the show. Just visit jordanharbinger.com
	...

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